Think INC: Hot Takes With Hoff & Pepper

Chattanooga-based hot sauce makers Aaron “Hoff” and Michell “Pepper” Hoffman know a thing or two about turning up the heat.

They’ve found a way into countless kitchens through their small-batch offerings of handmade Hoff & Pepper sauces.

What started as two hot sauce connoisseurs making home recipes grew into one of the hottest clients coming through the Hamilton County Business Development Center’s (BDC) INCubator program.

Since joining the INCubator, the company has gone from one to 20 full-time employees supplying eight mouth-watering products across 4,000 stores. They’ve been listed as one of Chrissy Teigen’s “10 best hot sauces of all time” and tested the taste buds of stars including, David Chang, Derrick Lewis and Jimmy Kimmel in recent seasons of the hit YouTube show, Hot Ones.

As they prepare to graduate from the INCubator program and move production into a new facility, the hot sauce entrepreneurs sat down to discuss how the INCubator and the BDC helped scale their business.

Watch Hoff & Pepper talk all things INCubator and BDC below.

Learn more about the company’s success story, here.

Think INC is a series of success stories from INCubator companies past and present. Chattanooga’s INCubator — the largest business incubator in the state of Tennessee and the third largest in the United States, with 127,000 square feet of space for entrepreneurs — is located in the Hamilton County Business Development Center (BDC) in Downtown Chattanooga, TN.

Other Topics

Adam Myers will serve as Vice President, Economic Development, Charles Wood, President and CEO, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, has announced. "Adam’s decade-plus of experience in both the public and private sectors and a strong track record in economic development…

In Chattanooga - this bustling city where entrepreneurs are a driving force - veterans own fewer than 10% of businesses. However, through local university programs and Chattanooga-area company support, veteran entrepreneurs are equipping themselves with more essential tools and better…

This week in Chattanooga, government officials, industry leaders, and experts convened at the Tennessee Economic Development Conference, GovCon23, to discuss various aspects of economic development in the state. One of the highlights of the event was the Commissioner's Luncheon, where…

While many companies offer fitness reimbursements or discounts, some local companies go the extra mile by providing on-site exercise facilities. Engaging in physical activity produces many benefits that extend into the workday, including improved mental and physical well-being, reduced absenteeism…

Last week the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Lookout Counseling Association and Chattanooga State Community College, hosted the annual College and Career Fair for local high school seniors.   The event is a unique opportunity for students…

The Chattanooga Chamber has announced that Jesse Branum will serve as Director of Accounting. "Jesse’s resourcefulness combined with over a decade of experience in financial management and exceptional team leadership will greatly contribute to the Chamber’s financial excellence,” Yolonda Hayslett, MBA,…

Sign up for weekly updates.